Dressed in graduation robes, the class of 2012 at Wellesley High School, in a wealthy and elite nook of suburban Massachusetts, sat in their seats listening to their English teacher tell them what they didn’t want to hear: “You’re not special,” David McCullough Jr. told them. ”Astrophysicists assure us the universe has no center; therefore, you cannot be it.”

And with that, kids whose high school brought us Sylvia Plath and Biz Stone were about to be taken down a peg or three.

“Absolutely, smiles ignite when you walk into a room, and hundreds gasp with delight at your every tweet. … But do not get the idea you’re anything special. Because you’re not.”

“[We] come to love accolades more than genuine achievement,” McCullough said. “We have come to see them as the point — and we’re happy to compromise standards … if we suspect that’s the quickest way, or only way, to have something to put on the mantelpiece, something to pose with, crow about, something with which to leverage ourselves into a better spot on the social totem pole.”

He also advised against making trendy “bucket” lists. “Go to Paris to be in Paris,” he snarked, “not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly.”

“Selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself,” McCullough concluded. “The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is.”

The Huffington Post reported that the hip teacher is fond of making newsworthy commencement speeches. In 2006 he told the graduating class to “carpe the heck out of every diem.”

__________________"Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."
--Hugh Latimer, October 16, 1555

That reminds me of a segment from C.S. Lewis' book A Horse and His Boy. In the book, a talking Narnian horse has lived his entire life around regular, non-talking horses. So he is used to being a special horse because he can talk and the other horses around him cannot. However, once he gets to Narnia he will be surrounded by other talking horses and suddenly he won't be special anymore. But as long as he doesn't consider himself a special horse, then at least he has a chance to be a good horse.

Obviously, that's something that we can apply to ourselves, as long as we understand that there is nothing special about us, then and only then do we have the chance to be a good person.

Its interesting that people feel that the only way to get someone to realize other people is to squish them into some kinda shame.

The Truth is the all Humans have Intrinsic Value because they are made in the image of GOD.

I think in an age where we go overboard pretending that we are special so as not to end up depressed in a post modern age, where we feel fractured and unable to achieve...we shouldnt try and shame people into service of others.

That is as bad as creating Christian Converts by trying to frighten them with visions of Hell.

You will never serve others efficiently and gladly until you understand what and who you are, just like you cant force someone to be a Christian by telling them they are destined for Hell.

To do so either pushes them further away by shattering their reality in a way that leaves them open to demonic whispers and spirals of depression, thus rendering them useless to advance the Kingdom of GOD, or merely distracted, either of which is a demonic success, OR you make them resentful, and build up even higher walls in an attempt to placate your truth by hostile measures.

The Truth is that we ALL have value, and we are ALL special. In so noticing that fact in other people, we show them service because we recognise their place, and because we recognise that place extends to all for merely existing, we can be Special because we can simply Be.

Shock tactics are great for headlines...but I doubt any of those people considered that speech anything but incorrect at best and offensive at worse...so ask yourself what it achieved...if your aim and your attainment isnt somehow to make things more GODly or advance the cause...then dont bother with it at all.

Before anyone accuses me of simply making this dogma up...perhaps you will consider that two of the Gospels quoted Christ speaking about Sparrows and saying that they were relatively worthless, but that GOD knew everything about them and cared for each one. He finishes by telling us not to be fearful for "you are worth more then many sparrows"

It is on that revelation at the start of 2009 that I invested in birds and now have an aviary. it reminds me of Intrinsic Value, which we must install afresh in all.

That is as bad as creating Christian Converts by trying to frighten them with visions of Hell.

That was one of Jesus Christ's primary messages, read the Gospels. In fact, the teachings of Christ give us some of the most vivid imagery of Hell in the Bible.

Did you ever stop to think that people can only become fearful of Hell because the Holy Spirit instills that fear within them? If people aren't being led by the Holy Spirit then any talk of Hell is just going to sound like nonsense or a joke to them.

I don't think anyone is saying that people need to feel like scum before they can be productive. However, people do need to have a realistic assessment of themselves and sometimes reality isn't pretty. To have an accurate assessment of who we are, we need to accept the bad with the good and not gloss over the bad while exaggerating the good.

Although, self-hatred is actually something that the Bible encourages (Job 42:6), because it means that we truly understand how we measure up to GOD and it's not good news for us at all.

1) That was one of Jesus Christ's primary messages, read the Gospels. In fact, the teachings of Christ give us some of the most vivid imagery of Hell in the Bible.

2) Did you ever stop to think that people can only become fearful of Hell because the Holy Spirit instills that fear within them? If people aren't being led by the Holy Spirit then any talk of Hell is just going to sound like nonsense or a joke to them.

3) I don't think anyone is saying that people need to feel like scum before they can be productive. However, people do need to have a realistic assessment of themselves and sometimes reality isn't pretty. To have an accurate assessment of who we are, we need to accept the bad with the good and not gloss over the bad while exaggerating the good.

4) Although, self-hatred is actually something that the Bible encourages (Job 42:6), because it means that we truly understand how we measure up to GOD and it's not good news for us at all.

1) Really...do show us where he uses frightening images to cause converts.

2) If someone does something out of fear...have they made a free choice?

3) Well my post was aimed really at PTMs original and not your response to it. To the best of my knowledge there was no mention of GOD in his original text. It seemed to be somebody wanting to make headlines, simply being rude to a group of wealthy students.

Nothing in the original message spoke of viewing things accurately, infact without inclusion of GOD on the matter, "accurate" is neither here nor there.

4) Not unless we truely understand the rest of the story, and thats the issue. It always easier to break down then build up. We constantly try to make the ends justify the means, and constantly seek to better others...but we are not very good at rebuilding.

The stresses on the Title Deeds we hold (which is the origin of the word "faith" used in Pauline texts) should be equally mentioned. There is a temptation to think that one is worthless and that the promises of Christians about the glories thereafter are nothing more then something "hoped" for, something "unseen" and frankly to anyone feeling down about themselves unreal. Always put it in context of the light, because the aim is to get people to be happy about who they are, knowing what they mean to Christ, and what Christ gives them...NOT for them to be bogged down in shame, fear, pity for themselves, focused only on their sin...all of which can lead to a great many distractions...which, again the demons dont mind one bit.

Lets focus on the truth. The Truth is that ALL ARE SPECIAL because ALL are made in Christs image and therefore have Intrinsic Value...THAT is the grounding on which you can THEN talk about how far we fall short.

Let people know there is a safety net BEFORE you push them off the ledge, then they might not shyte their pants on the way down

1) Really...do show us where he uses frightening images to cause converts.

Mark 9:42-48

Quote:

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where

‘Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where

‘Their worm does not die,
And the fire is not quenched.’

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— where

‘Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’"

Also, based on Luke 12:4-5 we see that fear is the proper emotion when we think about GOD casting people into Hell:

Quote:

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyburn

2) If someone does something out of fear...have they made a free choice?

You might be going through a Calvanist Stage....but I certainly am not

Love cant be forced, if its not free, its not Love. The only thing GOD chooses to do is give us the option.

I'm not going through a Calvinist stage. Predestination is not a Calvinist doctrine, it is a Biblical one. It predates John Calvin, it predates the New Testament, it even predates Moses. GOD chose the Israelites as His people before Abraham and his wife bore their first son. GOD didn't "choose to give them the option" to be His people because they hadn't even been born yet.

According to Paul, we were all chosen for salvation before GOD even created the universe. You may not like it, but you can't deny what the Bible says.